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The Wheelbarrow: A Lever on a Wheel

4th grade nonfiction passage about levers in wheelbarrows: 205 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

4th grade nonfiction levers in wheelbarrows 205 words

The Wheelbarrow: A Lever on a Wheel

A wheelbarrow looks like one simple tool, but it holds two simple machines. One of them is the wheel. The other is the lever.

A lever is a stiff bar that turns around a fixed point called a fulcrum. In a wheelbarrow, the fulcrum is the axle of the front wheel. The bed of the wheelbarrow, where you put the load, sits between the wheel and your hands. The handles are long and reach far back from the wheel.

When you lift the handles, the front of the wheelbarrow stays on the wheel while the back rises. Because your hands are much farther from the fulcrum than the load is, a small lift from you moves a heavy load. The longer the handles, the easier the lift.

You can make the job easier still. If you pile a heavy load close to the wheel, it feels lighter. A heavy load near the back, close to your hands, feels much heavier.

The wheel helps, too. It carries most of the weight, so you do not have to hold up the whole load. You only have to lift part of it and push. That is why gardeners and builders use wheelbarrows to move soil, bricks and stones.

Questions

  1. Which two simple machines does a wheelbarrow have? in the text

  2. What is the fulcrum in a wheelbarrow? in the text

  3. Where does the load sit in relation to the wheel and your hands? in the text

  4. What happens to a heavy load that is piled close to the wheel? in the text

  5. What does the wheel do to help you? in the text

  6. Why would wheelbarrow handles that were very short be harder to use? think about it

Words to know

lever
a stiff bar that turns on a point to help lift things
fulcrum
the fixed point that a lever turns around
axle
the rod in the middle of a wheel that the wheel turns on
load
something heavy that is being lifted or carried
handles
the parts of a tool that you hold in your hands
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One passage, three levels

The same topic and facts written three ways, so a mixed class can read and talk about one text. Each group’s sheet shows only a shape; the key says which is which.

● Easier · 145 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.6

A wheelbarrow is one tool, but it has two simple machines. One is the wheel. The other is the lever.

A lever is a stiff bar that turns on a fixed point. The point is called a fulcrum. In a wheelbarrow, the fulcrum is the axle of the front wheel. The load sits in the bed, between the wheel and your hands. The handles are long.

Lift the handles. The front stays on the wheel, and the back goes up. Your hands are far from the fulcrum. So a small lift moves a heavy load.

Put a heavy load close to the wheel, and it feels lighter. Put it near your hands, and it feels heavier.

The wheel helps, too. It carries most of the weight. You only lift part of it and push. Gardeners and builders use wheelbarrows to move soil, bricks and stones.

▲ This passage · 205 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.5

A wheelbarrow looks like one simple tool, but it holds two simple machines. One of them is the wheel. The other is the lever.

A lever is a stiff bar that turns around a fixed point called a fulcrum. In a wheelbarrow, the fulcrum is the axle of the front wheel. The bed of the wheelbarrow, where you put the load, sits between the wheel and your hands. The handles are long and reach far back from the wheel.

When you lift the handles, the front of the wheelbarrow stays on the wheel while the back rises. Because your hands are much farther from the fulcrum than the load is, a small lift from you moves a heavy load. The longer the handles, the easier the lift.

You can make the job easier still. If you pile a heavy load close to the wheel, it feels lighter. A heavy load near the back, close to your hands, feels much heavier.

The wheel helps, too. It carries most of the weight, so you do not have to hold up the whole load. You only have to lift part of it and push. That is why gardeners and builders use wheelbarrows to move soil, bricks and stones.

■ Harder · 217 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.9

A wheelbarrow appears to be a single, uncomplicated tool, but it actually combines two simple machines. One of them is the wheel, and the other is the lever.

A lever is a stiff bar that pivots around a fixed point known as a fulcrum. In a wheelbarrow, the fulcrum is the axle of the front wheel. The bed of the wheelbarrow, where you place the load, sits between the wheel and your hands, and the handles are long, reaching far back from the wheel.

When you lift the handles, the front of the wheelbarrow remains on the wheel while the back rises. Because your hands are much farther from the fulcrum than the load is, a small lift from you is enough to move a heavy load. The longer the handles are, the easier the lift becomes.

You can make the job easier still. A heavy load piled close to the wheel feels noticeably lighter, whereas a heavy load near the back, close to your hands, feels much heavier.

The wheel contributes as well, because it carries most of the weight, and you do not have to support the entire load yourself. You only need to lift part of it and push, which is why gardeners and builders rely on wheelbarrows to move soil, bricks and stones.

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put lever, fulcrum, axle, load and handles on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the text will be about.
  • Read it aloud once while students follow along, then have them reread it alone or with a partner. At a calm 100 words a minute it takes about 2 minutes to read aloud.
  • Use the Read it big button (or B) to put the text on the projector, and Show answer on one question at a time so the class commits to an answer first.
  • Question 6 asks the reader to infer. Ask students to point to the words in the passage that led them to their answer.
  • Ask students to write one question the passage did not answer, then look for the answer in a book or on a classroom screen.
  • Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "The Wheelbarrow: A Lever on a Wheel"?

It was written for 4th grade. It has 205 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 3.5. That is a formula's estimate from sentence length and syllables, and it is not a Lexile or a guided reading level, so check it against your students.

What do the questions ask?

There are six. 5 ask for something the text says directly and 1 ask the reader to work something out from clues. Each has an answer in the key, and the answers are written as a teacher would accept them, not as the only possible wording.

How long does it take to read?

About 2 minutes read aloud at 100 words a minute. For a one-minute fluency check, paste it into the fluency timer and use the word count.

Can I print it?

Yes. Print student copy gives the passage, the questions with lines to write on, and the word meanings. Print with answers gives the same page with the answers filled in. Both are made in your browser.

Is this passage from a published book?

No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.

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